Our Efforts to Preserve the traditional Singer Sewing Machine in our Scottish Mills.
Do you remember the rhythmical click-clack of a manual typewriter? Or the crackle of dust under a record player’s needle? As technology gallops forward and trends chop and change, traditional equipment can be left redundant, and with it the associated skills of operation. Not true, however, of the iconic Singer sewing machine, which we are preserving with vigour in our Scottish mills.
To safeguard one of our most popular design features and strengthen ties with our local community, we are breathing new life into perceivably outdated technology with a history that goes back almost as far as our own. To prolong the life of this heritage equipment, we have partnered with Moray College UHI on an innovative 3D printing project.
Two secondary school students, currently undertaking foundation apprenticeships at a local college, have been tasked with stripping and rebuilding a machine to suggest engineering methods to prolong its life expectancy. They aim to create a library of 3D printable spare parts and an assembly guide for the old Singer machines.
A blanket stitch is often used to reinforce the edge of thick materials, and its distinctive aesthetic is visible on both sides of the fabric. The traditional stitch features on our popular Reversible Blanket Stitched Throws and Bed Throws made with a luxurious blend of the finest Merino Wool and the highest quality super-soft Cashmere.
Johnstons of Elgin’s Senior Sewing Technician Stephen Donachie explained that our customers love this unique detail, but the Singer machine used to create it is dying out.
There’s nothing else on the market that can give us the blanket stitch in this finish,' he said. 'It's a low speed, low impact machine, and there's a fair level of skill required. We can still use these machines, give them a spot of oil in the morning, and we don't get many problems. Except if a part breaks and we can’t get a new one.’
They say the most sustainable product is the one you already own. We continue to work with traditional Singer machines and have a small bank of machine ‘shells’ and parts at our Elgin site.
‘We buy second hand or reconditioned machines, and even if they have been reconditioned, we put them on the bench and strip them down to recondition and rebuild them,' said Stephen, adding that he has explored several options to secure vital spare parts.
‘Some parts are made in the Far East, but the minimum order is 100, which is about 50 years’ supply. Some parts can be reengineered in the UK, at Nottingham, and we are looking at 3D printing,’ he said.
Stephen explained that the machines have unique serial numbers to trace the manufacturing date and the quantity produced. Some number in the thousands, but with others, Singer made only 5 or 6. As well as preserving these machines for practical use, the process is safeguarding a piece of history.
